Toe-box for use in the manufacture of boots and shoes.



J. H. BROWN;

TOE BOX FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.10, 1908.

910,781 Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HENRY' BROWN, OF NORTHAMPTON, "ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DANIEL A. BERRY, OF NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

. TOE-BOX FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed April 10, 1908. Serial No. 426,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HENRY BROWN,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at Northampton, in the county of Northampton, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toe-Boxes for Use in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to casings (or boxings) of the type which are inserted under the upper leather or between the latter and the lining of the toe of a boot or shoe for the purpose of reinforcing the said toe, to maintain it in shape and to cause it to return to its original form after it may have been crushed or pressed in as will happen, for example, when a toe is trodden upon or in other ways distorted or knocked out of shape.

The invention comprehends a casing .or reinforcement of' a resilient character which, while it keeps the boot toe in shape, will yield under weight or pressure and when the latter is removed, return to its original form and thus restore the shape of the toe.

The invention comprises a casing formed of a suitably shaped piece of india rubber having fixed thereto a suitably shaped piece of leather through which the stitches pass to connect the said casing or reinforcement in position in the toe.

The invention will be clearly understood from the following more detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of a toe casing or reinforcement laid out flat and constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line A, B, of Fig. 1, the leather strip being shown partly detached on one side to illustrate the beveling or rabbeting of the india-rubber cas comp ete casing shaped or molded ready to insert in-the toe of a boot or shoe, and Fig. 4 is the toe of a boot (partly in section) with the reinforcement or casing therein.

A toe casing or reinforcement constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a blank or piece of india rubber C of the contour of a toe cap as shown most clearly in Fig. 1. Attached by cement, solution or like Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the strong adhesive, around the curved edge of the said blank 0 is a strip of leather or equivalent D through which alone the stitches p ass which connect the upper and the sole together in the well known manner. This attaching strip is cut to the contour of the curved edge of the blank C and is secured thereto so that it projects slightly beyond the edge of the india-rubber as s IOWIl most clearly in Figs. 1 to 3.

It is advisable to bevel the inner edge E of the attaching strip D so that it for-ms no shoulder or uneven surface on that face of the casing which comes next to the wearers toes inside the boot, or the rubber blank C may be molded with a curved edge F beveled or reduced in thickness so that the overlapping portionof the strip may fit thereon with its edge up to the shoulder G on the latter thus insuring a smooth surface as shown in Fig. 2. The outer edge H of the rubber blank C is also (by preference) beveled or tapered off as shown in Fig. l so that the interior of the toe of the boot at the top shall be free from'any projection.

By preference the indie-rubber blank 0 is shaped or molded to the contour and form illustrated in Fig. 3 so that it will conform to the toe of the last and reduce the labor otherwise incidental thereto of fitting it on the same.

On reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the casing is inserted under the upper leather I of the boot toe and between the said leather and the lining J that ortion of the leather stri D .Which projects )eyond the india-rubber blank C being alone turned over the edge of the last and secured in position by the same stitches which unite the sole and upper together.

As the rubber blank or part 0 of the casing is located immediately under the boot toe it is obvious that if the latter be crushed or trodden upon, the rubber will yield to the force or im act thereon and subsequently return and orce the toe back to its original shape and position.

What I claim then is:

A casing or reinforcement for the toes of boots and shoes, comprising a shaped or molded indie-rubber blank of concavo-convex section so as to fit over or conform to the In testimony whereof I have signed my last and a strip of leather attached around name to this specification in the presence of the curved edge of the said blank so as to two subscrib' Witnesses.

pro'ect therefrom, the said strip being bev- JO EPH. HENRY BROWN. 5 eled on the edge and the said blank being re- Witnesses:

duced in thickness to receive the said strip E. N. LEWIS,

for the purpose described. GEORGE LESTER. 

